The Arizona Wildcats and the BYU Cougars have scheduled a three-game football series for 2016, 2018, and 2020, the two schools announced today via a Google hangout.

The first game will be played in 2016 at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, the home of the NFL’s Arizona Cardinals. Per the release, this game will be broadcast on the Pac-12 Networks.

For the 2018 and 2020 games, the series will move to campus sites. Arizona will host the second game of the series at Arizona Stadium in Tucson in 2018, while the third and final game of the series will be played at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo, UT in 2020.

“This is a great regional series and a unique opportunity for our large fan base in Arizona to see us play,” said BYU director of athletics Tom Holmoe. “Arizona has a great football tradition and University of Phoenix Stadium is an incredible NFL venue. I believe the venue and location will attract a lot of our fans in support of the Cougars.”

In their last meeting in 2008, Arizona defeated BYU 31-21 in the Las Vegas Bowl. Arizona leads the overall series 12-9-1, but the last four games have been an even split.

Arizona now has two games scheduled for 2016, 2018, and 2020. In addition to the BYU contests, the Wildcats are slated to host Grambling State (2016), UTEP (2018) and Hawaii (2020).

BYU, an FBS Independent, now has five games scheduled for 2016, four in 2018, and three in 2020. Their 2016 schedule also includes a neutral-site game against West Virginia at FedEx Field in Landover, MD.

“We’re excited to announce our series with BYU and especially playing the first game at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale in 2016,” said Arizona director of athletics Greg Byrne. “These three games will provide the coaches, student-athletes and fans of both Arizona and BYU with a great regional matchup. I look forward to working with BYU Athletics Director Tom Holmoe to further promote this series and providing an exciting atmosphere for our fans.”

Comments (15)

Would have really liked to see ASU be this creative to get these games. BYU travels well and will get fans to PHX, but still home, home, neutral and the neutral game @ an NFL stadium in your state? Kills me to say it as a Sun Devil but Props to UA for stepping up and getting it done, I wish we were the ones announcing this series today.

Look for this to happen. ASU and BYU would be finalizing a deal that would send BYU to ASU in 2014 instead of Notre Dame. We go there IN NOVEMBER (yes November) of 2015 with a neutral game pushed out to 2020 in Phoenix. It would be funny if UofA announced it first, but we already had our series 2/3 done by the time they finally play.

BYU came to BC a few years back and I was very surprised how well they traveled, they were everywhere. They bought their ticket allotment and then apparently just kept on buying. In addition to the sheer #’s they were loud.